Railway track gauging tool



J. PALUCH June 29, 1937.

- RAILWAY TRACK GAUG'ING TOOL File d Aug. 9, 1955 ATTO R N EY and rail laying operation. Important features Patented June 29, 1937 FFIQE RAILWAY TRACK GAUGING T001.

Joseph Paluch,

Chicopee, Mass.

Application August 9, 1935, Serial No. 35,423

I 2 Claims.

This invention relates to railway track gauging tools adapted to facilitate the laying of rail to proper gauge and consists of atoolof advanced construction and designtoolfer important advan-'- tages over the adjusting tools as heretofore employed for the purpose.

An important object of the present invention is to produce an improved gauging tool of conveniently portable type, of simple and sturdy construction; which will successfully fulfill the practical requirements of its use and which by reason of its lightness in weight and ease ofpositioning and manipulation will materially facilitate the correctrelative positioning of the rails'and correspondinglyexpedite the gauging contributing to my improved gauging tool structure include an improved shifting lever incorporated therewith in the arrangement adapting it for engagement with the movable rail for shifting the latter either in the direction toward or from its related rail as conditions may require; an improved pivotal mounting of the the lever being folded upon the body member for convenience in handling when not in use and a gauge member incorporated with the body member in a manner to be effective without inter ference with the shifting operation in either direction and longitudinally adjustable on the body to accommodate its use to different rail sections.

The foregoing and other important features and advantages of my improved gauging tool will be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved gauging tool applied to the rails for use.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, enlarged relative to Fig. 1, showing the gauge member.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view of the gauge tool assembly of Fig. 1 shown in side elevation.

Fig. 6 is a detail view in side elevation of the movable jaw end portion of the improved tool.

In the drawing an approved embodiment of the features of my invention is shown in an adjusting and gauging tool construction comprising a body member or cross-beam l which desirably is of wood for the purpose of electric insulation whereby in use the device will not interfere with the track circuits. Secured to one end thereof is a rail engaging bracket 2 having a laterally extended or forked outer end portion 3 having dependingjaws 4 for engagement with the outerside of the head of the rail 1* which is the fixed rail or the rail to which the opposite rail r is to be relatively moved to establish proper gauge relation. The bracket 2 is also provided as shown withan inner depending jaw 5 in such spaced relation to the jaws 4 as to accommodate or receive therebetweenthe head of the rail, the spacing being suitably enlarged to receive the heads of varied sizes of rail sections.

At the opposite end of the beam I there is affixed by bolts 1 a fulcrum bracket member *8 having a fulcrum bearing portion 9 formed to receive a bearing shaft or pin l0 positioned above the upper plane of the body member and having at its underside a rail head bearing face l2 in substantially the plane of the body upper surface for seating upon the rail, the bearing face l2 being extended outwardly by an outward extension l3 of the bracket for seating upon the movable rail in widely varied positions thereof. For shifting of the movable rail 1'' there is pivoted upon the fulcrum pin II! a movable jaw member [5 of yoke formation having similar rail engaging jaws and bearings for the pin on each side of the bearing portion 9 of the bracket 8. The movable jaw member is as shown also formed with a plural arrangement of outwardly directed, spaced shoulders l6 and I1 inwardly of the fulcrum pin and a similar arrangement of inwardly directed, spaced shoulders Ill-19 outwardly of the fulcrum. The upper portion of the movable jaw is provided, as shown, with a lever extension 20 by which it is manually shifted or rocked to effect movement of the rail 1" in either direction. As will be appreciated, the arrangement of the inner shoulders l6 and I8 and outer shoulders I! and I9 provides for a wider range of shifting engagement with the movable rail in addition to providing for shifting either outwardly or inwardly as the circumstances may require. Also, as will be understood, in the shifting oper ation if the rail is distantly out of position it is first engaged by the outermost shoulder and subsequently by the inward shoulder for shifting to final position.

Associated with the foregoing improved features for shifting of the rail 1 also provide means to coact therewith for accurately gauging the securing bolts 28'fitted to longitudinal slots 29 in the gaugebar. This arrangement, as shown, supports the gauge bar in a manner allowing of its adjustment longitudinally of the body memher for accurately fitted engagement with the fixed rail 1' of the given rail head width with the flange 21 forming a bearing rest thereon and wherein the opposite end is positioned with its flange 21 in the plane of the rail bearing surface I! so as to' be non-interfering in the rail shifting operation. Accordingly, there is incorporated with the shifting means a gauge bar in a fixed and effective position, readily adjustable for differing rail sections and so as not to'interfere with the shifting of the rail as aforesaid.

The .lever extension 20 may desirably be of tubular metal and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, when not in use the lever extension may be folded downwardly over the body member and secured by a latch or sliding bolt 3| positioned to enter the tube end and supported by a block 32 on the body I to space the lever extension from the body whereby it may be used as a handle for convenient portability.

. While I have shown and described an approved embodiment of the features of my invention, it will be understood that varied modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a body member provided with rail engaging means at one end, a fulcrum member at its opposite end having a fulcrum bearing portion and an outwardly extended rail head bearing face at its underside, a movable jaw member pivotally supported in the fulcrum bearing portion, a lever extension on themovablejaw and a gauge bar member slidably secured at the side of the body member to be adjustable longitudinally thereof in a plane parallel thereto.

2. A device of the character described comprising a body member provided with a rail engaging bracket on one end having a laterally enlarged end having depending jaws and a jaw inwardly spaced therefrom, a fulcrum bracket member at its opposite end having a fulcrum bearing opening, a fulcrum pin positioned in said opening, said bracket being formed with an outwardly extended rail head bearing face at its underside substantially in the horizontal plane of the body upper surface, a movable jaw member pivotally supported on the pin and having a yoke formation to extend downwardly at each side of the bracket member and formed at its underside with a plurality of rail engaging shoulders at each side of the fulcrum and directed inwardly toward the fulcrum, a lever extension on the movable jaw member and an insulated gauge bar adjustably secured at the side of the body member and provided at its ends with rail engaging plates having upper fiange extensions for bearing upon the rail treads.

JOSEPH PALUCH. 

